1. Choosing the Delivery Method

Below are some pros and cons for the wide variety of delivery methods that are available. Remember that the best delivery method for you is the one that you will consistently take.

2. Navigating the Different Types of Supplements Available

The nutrients in supplements can be obtained in a variety of different ways, and the label will not always indicate the specific method. The explanations below offer some insight into where the nutrients in your supplement might be coming from.

Natural: Supplements whose nutrients are derived exclusively from a natural source and undergo very little processing fall into this category. Natural supplements include things like greens (wheat grass, moringa, etc.), fish liver oil, bee pollen, nutritional/brewer’s yeast, garlic, desiccated liver, amla, and many herbal products.

Natural-Sourced: Products in this category are obtained from a natural source but have undergone a significant amount of processing and/or refining. Products such as vitamin A and vitamin D from fish liver oil, vitamin E from soybean oil, EPA from fish oil, and protein powders are natural-sourced.

Fermentation Derived: Some nutrients are produced as a byproduct of a specific bacteria’s or yeast’s metabolism. Manufacturers cultivate these specific bacteria or yeasts and, once the nutrient has been produced, they isolate it out to be used in supplements. Nutrients that are produced this way include the amino acids, CoQ10, and melatonin.

Synthetic: Nutrients manufactured in a lab are considered synthetic. Although the term synthetic tends to have a negative connotation, it is important to remember that it would be completely cost prohibitive to produce nutrients exclusively from a natural source. There are two categories of synthetic nutrients: nature-identical and strictly synthetic.

• Nature-identical nutrients are manufactured nutrients that are identical in molecular structure to the nutrient as it occurs in nature.
• Strictly synthetic nutrients are also manufactured in a lab but are somehow not identical to the nutrient as it occurs in nature. Some nutrients simply cannot be copied exactly. Sometimes the synthetic nutrient has the same chemical constituents as the natural nutrient but in a mirror image of the natural nutrient. You can think of this like a glove. Although all gloves have all the same components (four fingers, a thumb, and a palm), a right-handed glove simply won't fit on your left hand. When it comes to nutrients, this can be important because enzymes in the body that work with a specific nutrient don't fit quite right with the mirror image of that nutrient. In other cases, the synthetic nutrient doesn't have all the same chemical constituents as the natural nutrient or contains extra components that are not present in the naturally occurring nutrient.

“Whole Food”, “Food-Based”, “FoodState Nutrients™

This broad category of supplements generally refers to products that are designed to more closely mimic how we receive nutrients from food. These products tend to be lower in potency and more expensive but may also be easier on the stomach and more absorbable and usable by the body. The basic methods used to produce supplements that fall into this category are explained below.

• Food based: there are two types of supplements that can fall into the food-based category. One is made by combining synthetic and natural-sourced vitamins and minerals with real dehydrated food (usually foods where the nutrient naturally occurs) before pressing into a tablet and or capsule. The other type uses standard synthetic and natural-sourced vitamins and minerals but adds a separate food blend (usually fruits and vegetables) to the product.
• Food-cultured or fermented: supplements that are food-cultured start with synthetic and/or natural sourced vitamins and minerals, which are then fed to yeast that incorporate them into their cell walls. The yeast is harvested, ruptured, and made into a supplement. Often food-cultured supplements are then put into a dehydrated, whole-food base to increase the amount of nutrients in the product. Sometimes manufacturers also add synthetic and/or natural-sourced vitamins to increase or maintain potency of the finished product.

3. Deciding When to Take Supplements

When deciding what time of day and with what, if anything, you will take your supplements, it is always a good idea to first check the directions on each bottle. There you will find specific directions that pertain to that particular supplement. As with choosing a supplement-delivery method, when you take your supplements should be the time that is most convenient and that you are most likely to be able to consistently maintain.

Morning, Afternoon, or Evening?

Think for a moment about what you are taking a particular supplement for. If its actions may be most beneficial at a certain time of day, then you may want to take it at that time of day. For instance, the B vitamins are necessary for energy production and many people choose to take them in the morning to support normal energy production throughout the day. Likewise, if you are taking a supplement to support healthy relaxation at night, you might consider taking that supplement in the evening. For many supplements, the exact time of day does not matter. When taking a high amount of a certain vitamin or mineral, it is best to divide the doses throughout the day; so, for instance, you may choose to take one at breakfast, one at lunch, and one at dinner.

With or without food?

A good general rule of thumb is that water-soluble vitamins (the B vitamins and vitamin C) do not need to be taken with food, although in some cases you may find that they're easier on your stomach if you do take them with food. The fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K) require fat to be absorbed and should be taken with a meal or snack that contains fat. Products that contain a mixture of fat- and water-soluble nutrients, such as a multi vitamin, are usually best taken with food, although many people find the “whole food” and “food-based” supplements are easy enough on the stomach to take without food. Some supplements will be most effective when taken completely away from food, usually an hour before or two hours after eating, and this will be made clear on the bottle directions.

See the companion Customer Literature File Supplement Labels for information on how to read a supplement label.

References Available Upon Request